peg.arnoldNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Natalie JablonskiFri, 09 Dec 2016 05:26:16 +0000Natalie Jablonskihttp://wxpr.org
McNaughton resident and veteran of Pearl Harbor, Walter Wendt died in March of this year. He was 97. In 2013, WXPR's Natalie Jablonski interviewed Wendt about his experiences at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. Here is a link to the story.... The late Walter Wendt with WXPR's Natalie Jablonski in 2013. Today is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Remembering Walter Wendt And Pearl Harborhttp://wxpr.org/post/remembering-walter-wendt-and-pearl-harbor
56030 as http://wxpr.orgWed, 07 Dec 2016 14:59:36 +0000Remembering Walter Wendt And Pearl HarborNatalie JablonskiTeachers from Ladysmith and Florence joined a workshop in Three Lakes this week to learn the ins and outs of technology in the school's Fab Lab. It's short for Fabrication Lab...and it's made up of a series of digital tools and machines including a 3D printer and a laser engraver. Three Lakes Fab Lab director Steve Yahr says Fab Lab 101 for Teachers gets them familiar with the tech tools. “But more importantly than they they are learning the engineering-design process, which is the discipline that we put around the creative structure – the machines are simply a way to express the creation.” Florence art teacher Erica Land says there's a learning curve for teachers as well as students. “Where I've been the past few years teaching art, I haven't had access to any technology like this; I haven't used Adobe Illustrator in over ten years. So I'm like, I don't even know if I know how this works any more. So last week was kind of the basics, like this is the machine, this is the software weThree Lakes Teaches Other School Districts About Fab Labhttp://wxpr.org/post/three-lakes-teaches-other-school-districts-about-fab-lab
35669 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 02 Jul 2015 20:18:24 +0000Three Lakes Teaches Other School Districts About Fab LabNatalie JablonskiDNR Wardens are heightening their presence on the Minocqua-Tomahawk chain of lakes this summer to enforce catch-and-release rules for walleye newly in place this year. As DNR Warden Dave Walz explains, a collaborative plan with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission calls for extra monitoring to ensure no fish are taken. “We’ve heard from the Walleyes for Tomorrow chapter, and the tribes, that they want to make sure this is working, and that there’s no harvest out there," he said. "So we’re doing a couple days a week, during the summer months here.” An emergency rule calls for the Minocqua-Tomahawk chain of lakes to be strictly catch-and-release for the next five years, for both tribal and nontribal anglers. Meanwhile other lakes in Wisconsin’s ceded territory have a new three-fish bag limit. Walz says DNR law enforcement plans to be out at least twice a week checking in with anglers. He says 98 percent of boats checked during opening weekend knew about the rules.Wardens to Enforce Catch-and-Release for Walleye on Minocqua-Tomahawk Lakeshttp://wxpr.org/post/wardens-enforce-catch-and-release-walleye-minocqua-tomahawk-lakes
34909 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 15 Jun 2015 20:11:49 +0000Wardens to Enforce Catch-and-Release for Walleye on Minocqua-Tomahawk LakesNatalie JablonskiRoom tax receipts were up ten percent in the Rhinelander area in the first quarter of this year. Chamber Director Dana DeMet says that’s a significant increase from last year. “That would indicate a really strong showing over the winter months, he says. "Plus you compare that, the 2014 winter was one of the biggest on record. So even though we had more snow, colder temperatures in 2014, 2015 actually shaped up to be a better winter in terms of tourism numbers.” DeMet says the region benefited from good snow cover when many other parts of the state were bare. He also credits the economy and people having more disposable income. Last year was also good for tourism throughout Oneida County, which tied Vilas County for direct visitor spending...at more than 207-million dollars. That’s a growth of more than five percent for Oneida County, and about three percent for Vilas County compared to the previous year. DeMet, President of the Oneida County Tourism Council, attributes some of theTourism Spending On the Upswing in Oneida, Vilas Countieshttp://wxpr.org/post/tourism-spending-upswing-oneida-vilas-counties
34903 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 15 Jun 2015 17:27:11 +0000Tourism Spending On the Upswing in Oneida, Vilas CountiesNatalie JablonskiA Lac du Flambeau native is teaching a workshop at Bayfield’s Big Top Chautauqua, as part of a series of workshops focusing on traditional Native American skills. Lake Superior’s Big Top Chautauqua is making an effort to provide more Native American cultural programming, accessible to more people. Acclaimed musician and Lac du Flambeau tribal member Darren Thompson says he’s looking forward to offering a flute workshop later this month. “It allows me to share my heritage, it allows me to share the instrument with people," he described, "and I think that is one of the most beautiful things about culture, any culture, is that it’s shareable. And people seem to be very supportive of that.” Thompson says it’s open to beginner and experienced flute players. Big Top Executive Director Terry Matier says the organization has always included Native American performers in its lineup. But it has recently branched out to make the programming accessible to more people. “I think everybody," she saidBig Top Chautauqua Expands Native American Cultural Programminghttp://wxpr.org/post/big-top-chautauqua-expands-native-american-cultural-programming
34615 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 15 Jun 2015 17:18:41 +0000Big Top Chautauqua Expands Native American Cultural ProgrammingNatalie JablonskiPeople have until June 30th to submit written comments to the state DNR on how walleye are being managed in northern Wisconsin’s ceded territory. That includes feedback how specific lakes should be regulated. A public hearing held Friday on the topic drew few participants, with just four members of the public attending. Sports shop owner and fishing guide Kurt Justice says he has mixed feelings about the new rules to allow a three-fish bag limit on most lakes in the ceded territory. “I’m glad to see the state step up and open up a three bag limit, as far as us for our tourism business, which is very important," he said. "But I’m also concerned on the biological end, as far as what effects that will have going forward.” DNR Treaty Fisheries Coordinator Joe Hennessy says the state can compensate for the higher bag limit with more restrictive size limits when necessary. “If we have a high-density walleye population we can use a more liberal regulation," Hennessy explained. "In otherWalleye Rules Draw Optimism and Concern at Public Hearinghttp://wxpr.org/post/walleye-rules-draw-optimism-and-concern-public-hearing
34851 as http://wxpr.orgSat, 13 Jun 2015 16:20:01 +0000Walleye Rules Draw Optimism and Concern at Public HearingNatalie JablonskiOpponents of a measure to change teacher licensing requirements are still skeptical of new language that could limit its impact. Irma Republican Mary Czaja says she’ll redraft her proposal that allows prospective teachers to get licensed without a bachelor’s degree. She told reporters those candidates could only be part-time teachers, and that the license would be specific to a single school. Rhinelander Superintendent Kelli Jacobi says she’s glad the proposal is being rewritten, but doubts the new language will be enough to satisfy her concerns. “I don’t think that a high school diploma should be a threshold for people that are working with our children, teaching them, even if it’s on a part-time basis," she said. "So yes, I have some concerns - I’m glad that she’s taking another look at it.” Jacobi says it’s a clear instance of why policy changes shouldn’t be added during the budget process without public input. Earlier this week, teachers and state Democrats presented Governor ScottLawmaker Pledges to Tweak Teacher Licensing Changes; Opponents Not Convincedhttp://wxpr.org/post/lawmaker-pledges-tweak-teacher-licensing-changes-opponents-not-convinced
34783 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 11 Jun 2015 23:47:02 +0000Lawmaker Pledges to Tweak Teacher Licensing Changes; Opponents Not ConvincedNatalie JablonskiDespite about a hundred and fifty wolves taken in a wolf hunt last winter, Wisconsin’s wolf population has increased. Preliminary numbers from the state DNR have put last winter’s population between 746 and 771 wolves. That’s a thirteen percent increase from the year before, when numbers were as low as 660. Carnivore Specialist Dave Macfarland says the number is on the upper end of what biologists expected when they set a hunting quota last year. “The midpoint of our projection of population change was about a five percent decrease," Macfarland said. "But again, with the wild population there’s certain elements that we can control, and certain elements that are outside of our control. And a certain level of variability in any of these projections.” Macfarland says part of that variability is due to fewer wolves killed as a result of conflicts with humans and livestock than managers predicted. Wolves are back on the federal endangered species list, so the count won’t be used to set aWolf Population Increases By Thirteen Percenthttp://wxpr.org/post/wolf-population-increases-thirteen-percent
34779 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 11 Jun 2015 23:06:01 +0000Wolf Population Increases By Thirteen PercentNatalie JablonskiEnvironmental groups are reacting against a proposal that restricts county shoreland zoning power. Language within the state budget passed by the Joint Finance Committee says counties can’t employ stricter standards than those the state requires for what’s built on lakefront properties. Republican Senator Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst says it will create uniformity. “To make sure that we’re protective of people’s private property rights, besides being protective of the water resource," he said. "This puts that certainty in place, where this is the standard that we’ll follow in the state of Wisconsin.” But lake groups and other environmental advocates say looser rules degrade water quality and impact tourism. Laura Macfarland, Northern Organizer for the River Alliance of Wisconsin, says it will create muddier waters and poor fish habitat. “One cabin here, one cabin there, one mowed lawn down to the lakeshore, isn’t a big deal," she said "That’s not going to impact our lakeshore. ButBudget Provision Would Limit County Control Over Shoreland Zoninghttp://wxpr.org/post/budget-provision-would-limit-county-control-over-shoreland-zoning
34728 as http://wxpr.orgWed, 10 Jun 2015 23:16:24 +0000Budget Provision Would Limit County Control Over Shoreland ZoningNatalie JablonskiRhinelander is expecting a few thousand people this Saturday...with several events going on downtown. Downtown Rhinelander Inc. is organizing the 18th year of its Second Saturday in June Car Show. Executive Director Maggie Steffen says visitors can see more than a hundred cars of all ages...and you can admire them both inside and out. “They always like to show their interiors, and the hard work on the interiors, and their upholstery work," she said. "They like to show their engines. So they are parked...all the way up Brown Street, and they usually end up on Davenport.” Parts of Brown, Davenport, and Rives streets will be closed Saturday for the event. Steffen says the event helps showcase the community and draw crowds to downtown businesses. It’s the eighteenth year and Steffen says DRI has had a huge amount of community and volunteer support this year. Art on the Courthouse Lawn is also happening Saturday. Dozens of vendors will be gathering outside the Oneida County Courthouse forRhinelander's Car Show, Art Fair to Draw Visitorshttp://wxpr.org/post/rhinelanders-car-show-art-fair-draw-visitors
34703 as http://wxpr.orgWed, 10 Jun 2015 17:37:42 +0000Rhinelander's Car Show, Art Fair to Draw VisitorsNatalie JablonskiRepresentatives from the state’s eleven tribes are wrapping up a conference on Native American tourism. Many are looking to tourism to provide an economic boost. The Sokoagon Chippewa Community hosted the annual Native American Tourism of Wisconsin, or NATOW, conference this week. Tribes from around the state gathered in Mole Lake to talk about fresh ways to market themselves and draw visitors. NATOW’S Executive Director Ernie Stevens III says tourism can go beyond gaming to create economic value for the tribes. “We focus on the cultural side, you know the historical side," he explained. "The elements that people, I think, don’t get enough of and see enough of, hear enough of - even taste enough of, because there’s also Native cuisine that we want to get out into the world. So there’s all these things, these hidden gems that people have yet to experience.” Stevens says NATOW is looking at new ways of raising awareness and sharing cultural stories, including plans for an online tvTribes Gather To Discuss Tourism, Marketing Strategieshttp://wxpr.org/post/tribes-gather-discuss-tourism-marketing-strategies
34665 as http://wxpr.orgTue, 09 Jun 2015 19:40:33 +0000Tribes Gather To Discuss Tourism, Marketing StrategiesNatalie JablonskiJune and July bring peak breeding activity for Wisconsin’s birds. The state DNR says it’s an especially good time to get involved documenting bird sightings for the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas. It’s a five-year data gathering project that spans the entire state. The DNR’s Ryan Brady is Science Coordinator for the project. He says biologists will compare the data with those gathered 20 years ago, “and really see what populations of birds are increasing; which species are decreasing; how may they have shifted relative to changes in habitat or climate change or whatever it might be.” The Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas hasn’t been updated since the 1990s, when it documented about 400 species of nesting birds. Organizers say they’re specifically interested in nesting birds or those exhibiting other kinds of breeding behavior. Anyone can submit sightings from their backyard or their travels throughout the state...by using the online portal Atlas e-bird . Brady says wildlife managers wantBird Atlas Surveys Breeding Species in Wisconsinhttp://wxpr.org/post/bird-atlas-surveys-breeding-species-wisconsin
34614 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 08 Jun 2015 19:08:09 +0000Bird Atlas Surveys Breeding Species in WisconsinA talk this week will focus on forest ownership and conservation. Adena Rissman is on the faculty in UW Madison, studying relationships between people and natural resources. She says major changes in public and private land ownership patterns have shaped forest conservation. “As of 1999 --so just about 15 years ago -- a million acres of land was held by large paper and lumber companies," she said. "And now almost all of that land has transitioned to other companies - mostly to large real estate and timber investment organizations, as well as to small private landowners, public agencies and others.” At this month's informal lecture series Science on Tap, Rissman will give an overview of different conservation tools being used, and what their implications are. Rissman says part of what’s significant about forests is that they are valued in many ways, from their role in the timber industry, to recreation and wildlife habitat. “I think there’s really a whole wide range of benefits thatA Look At How Forest Ownership Impacts Conservation Toolshttp://wxpr.org/post/look-how-forest-ownership-impacts-conservation-tools
34610 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 08 Jun 2015 19:00:40 +0000A Look At How Forest Ownership Impacts Conservation ToolsNatalie JablonskiOne person died in a boating accident in Arbor Vitae on Friday night. It happened on Arrowhead Lake. The Vilas County Sheriff's Office says the 911 call came in at 10:45 pm, reporting a capsized boat and someone in the water. According to an initial investigation, the boat that capsized was carrying two Illinois men. One was able to make it to shore, while the other was later found dead in the water. Among the emergency crews responding to the scene were the Oneida County Dive Team and the Wisconsin DNR. The incident is still under investigation, and the name of the victim has not been released.Boating Accident Claims Life of Illinois Manhttp://wxpr.org/post/boating-accident-claims-life-illinois-man
34552 as http://wxpr.orgSat, 06 Jun 2015 14:22:03 +0000Boating Accident Claims Life of Illinois ManNatalie JablonskiWildlife managers have released a new ten year management plan for wild turkeys. As DNR Upland Wildlife Ecologist Scott Walter explains, it’s a more than 100-page document that guides decisions about hunting quotas and habitat conservation. “The major programmatic goal is to protect the wild turkey resource," he said, "while maximizing recreational opportunities, and maintaining a positive public image of turkeys.” Walter says it contains major updates to the last plan, which was written almost 20 years ago when turkeys were only found in the southern part of the state. Among the plan’s objectives are to better understand how wild turkeys survive in northern Wisconsin, and what kind of habitat is important. Walter says wild turkeys surprised everybody with how well they’ve done in the northern climate and landscape, and biologists want to know more about where the birds are distributed and why. “Finding out exactly what habitat types are allowing turkeys to survive a harsh northernDNR Releases Turkey Management Planhttp://wxpr.org/post/dnr-releases-turkey-management-plan
34491 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 04 Jun 2015 23:08:41 +0000DNR Releases Turkey Management PlanNatalie JablonskiA St. Germain woman has been sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison for filing false information on her income tax return, after she embezzled money from her employer. 58-year-old Cornelia Mutter worked for T.A. Solberg in Minocqua between 2004 and 2010. She was discovered to be using company checks for personal expenses and credit card payments. Though the company never pressed charges, the IRS calculated she embezzled more than 500-thousand dollars over seven years, resulting in a tax liability of over 100-thousand dollars. Mutter pled guilty to the charge in March.St. Germain Woman Sentenced for Tax Fraudhttp://wxpr.org/post/st-germain-woman-sentenced-tax-fraud
34490 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 04 Jun 2015 23:05:48 +0000St. Germain Woman Sentenced for Tax FraudNatalie JablonskiEagle River area residents will soon be able to preview design concepts for the Olson Memorial Library’s expansion. Library Director Nan Andrews says some of the new features include programming spaces like a youth area and a genealogy research room. “We have a lot of wall space that’s been targeted for art," she described, "and we’ve redesigned some community rooms so that those rooms could be broken up, and we could actually have a special art gallery for one month if we needed it or wanted it.” Andrews says designs will soon be available at the library front desk in the coming weeks for people to look at. There’s also a meeting Wednesday to talk with interior designers. The Eagle River Plan Commission has approved the library’s municipal and zoning permits, which will now head to the city council for approval. “Everything’s moving forward," Andrews said. "We’re truly going to see groundbreaking in the middle of October, by at least the 13th.” Andrews says construction plans are alsoOlson Library Finalizing Expansion Design Planshttp://wxpr.org/post/olson-library-finalizing-expansion-design-plans
34488 as http://wxpr.orgThu, 04 Jun 2015 22:53:47 +0000Olson Library Finalizing Expansion Design PlansNatalie JablonskiA nonprofit pushing for an off-road vehicle park in Forest County says the plan is not dead, despite a committee’s vote to keep the door closed against allowing off-road vehicles on county forest land. The Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park Incorporated or WORVPI says some of its members will meet Thursday to discuss next steps. The group has been pushing for Forest County to purchase land needed for the large park, which is proposed to ultimately cover 10,000 acres. But the county would have first needed to change its 15-year forest plan, which currently does not allow for that kind of use. Over a hundred people turned out a committee meeting to address the issue, with most voicing opposition to a park on county land. Committee members voted 4 to 2 against the amendments. County Forester David Ziolkowski says proposed amendments would have opened the door to campgrounds and motorized trails on county forest land. “There’s no language--in fact in any plan, in the state of Wisconsin on anyOff-Road Vehicle Park Proponents Still Optimistichttp://wxpr.org/post/road-vehicle-park-proponents-still-optimistic
34444 as http://wxpr.orgWed, 03 Jun 2015 23:12:07 +0000Off-Road Vehicle Park Proponents Still OptimisticNatalie JablonskiPlans for a new arts center and powwow venue in Lac du Flambeau are moving forward. The Waaswaaganing Living Arts and Culture Center has hired an architecture firm to finalize designs for the new Indian Bowl performance area. As Project Director Tom Gallaher explains, the old Indian Bowl was an amphitheater that had to be torn down last year due to structural problems. “Pretty soon the concrete seating will also have to be demolished," he explained. "And what will replace it will be an even nicer Indian Bowl, but of course it’s important that it’s on the very same site as the Indian Bowl that’s been going on since 1951.” The project has raised about 1 million dollars, about a quarter of the amount needed to build both the new Indian Bowl and the neighboring cultural center. Organizers hope it will be a draw for tourists and cultural activities for the entire region. Gallaher says the project will be completed in phases. “Phase 1 will be the actual Indian Bowl itself," he said. "We feltGroundbreaking Scheduled to Rebuild Indian Bowlhttp://wxpr.org/post/groundbreaking-scheduled-rebuild-indian-bowl
34376 as http://wxpr.orgTue, 02 Jun 2015 18:07:44 +0000Groundbreaking Scheduled to Rebuild Indian BowlNatalie JablonskiAt least two people were injured Monday morning in a vehicle crash between a semi and an SUV. It happened in St. Germain at the intersection of Highway 70 and County C. The Vilas County Sheriff's Office got the 911 call at 8:42 Monday morning. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but the Sheriff's office says the occupants of the SUV were partly ejected from the vehicle. One injured person was transported by ambulance to Howard Young Medical Center, while another was flown by helicopter to Aspirus Hospital in Wausau. The accident closed Highway 70 for several hours while the scene was cleared.St. Germain Crash Injures Twohttp://wxpr.org/post/st-germain-crash-injures-two
34352 as http://wxpr.orgMon, 01 Jun 2015 23:15:16 +0000St. Germain Crash Injures Two